NBA Offseason Review: West (Pt. 2)

Also see: NBA Offseason Review: West (Pt. 1)

As we prepare to embark upon a new season of NBA competition, several teams have made great strides during the offseason to improve upon there level of talent. But while some have gotten stronger, others are going nowhere fast. Some once great teams are now beginning to fall victim to the natural sports cycle of "talent turnover," which all teams of all sports must inevitably accept as their shared fate. Older players decline, younger ones improve, and departed talent is replaced for better or worse.

It is this cycle that gives us hope for each new season; a chance for us to overtake our rivals and send them plunging perilously towards rebuilding mode; it's the sheer possibility of finally seeing your team turn the proverbial corner (unless, of course, you're a fan of the Hawks, Clippers, or Grizzlies). Find out which teams have dug their own grave this season, who we need to be looking out for, and who is simply treading water. In this three-part series covering the Western Conference, you'll notice that the balance of power is definitely shifting, but you might not like how it's turning out.

Western Conference Part Two: "Have They Done Enough?"

L.A. Clippers

While I by no means believe that the Clippers have a chance at making a deep playoff run this season, I thought it would be appropriate to put them in the "Have They Done Enough?" column, due to their huge roster shake up this offseason, most of which was a desperate attempt to fill the Elton Brand void.

Just as the stars were beginning to align just right for the desperate and mistreated Clippers fans, their fortunes took a nosedive as Elton Brand, the center piece of the team, jumped ship and signed clear across the country with the Philadelphia 76ers. This was mere days after the Clippers were able to finagle Baron Davis, one of the most explosive point guards in the league, away from the Warriors with a lucrative contract.

I can guarantee you that many teams in the West were beginning to swallow hard at the thought of a Davis/Brand combo. And that's not to mention the supporting cast of Chris Kaman, Al Thornton, Cuttino Mobley, and this year's first-rounder, Eric Gordon. Oh well, Clippers fans should of known it was too good to be true.

With the huge void Elton Brand left, the Clippers were able to acquire a few noteworthy pieces, however. For starters, they were given Marcus Camby on a silver platter by the Denver Nuggets. They also signed free agent journeymen Ricky Davis and Brian Skinner to moderately-priced contracts. These additions, along with a couple other minor tweaks, have done enough to make the Clippers relevant this season, but I just can't see them having a shot at a title.

The combination of Camby and Kaman in the frontcourt will create some stalwart defense, but I'd feel a lot better about it if Camby wasn't turning 35 this season. Nonetheless, with these two holding their own up front, and Baron Davis running wild on the other side of the court, the L.A. Clippers should be in good position to surprise a few teams this year. Unfortunately, just "surprising" teams won't cut it in the Western Conference.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz didn't make any big splashes this offseason, and to the disappointment of some fans, Andrei Kirilenko and his bloated contract are still with the team. Rumors have swirled for some time now about Kirilenko being moved, but at the end of the day, there just wasn't a deal in place to bring back enough value for the Jazz. Don't get me wrong, Kirilenko is a nice player. He's got a very unique game, with great defensive skills that the Jazz don't want to lose. But he has conflicted with Jerry Sloan's role for him in the offense for years, and his contract, a staggering $49 million over the next three seasons, makes him the highest paid Jazz player. Is he really more valuable to the team than Carlos Boozer or Deron Williams? I don't think so.

Other than miss on their efforts to move Kirilenko, the Jazz made an extremely smart decision to quickly sign all-star point guard Deron Williams to an extension. The Atlanta Hawks should take notes of how these things work. The Jazz made sure Williams knew he was wanted, and that they would work with him on the extension, not against him. Now they can enjoy his services as one of the elite point guards in the league for at least the next 4-5 years (the last year has a player option).

With the resigning of C.J. Miles, a minor trade involving backup point guards, and the drafting of Kosta Koufos, the Jazz's offseason was pretty much complete. All in all, not necessarily a bad job, but I can't help but wonder if it was really enough. Koufos may turn out to be a fine center for them, in two to three years anyway. And with so many teams improving, it just seems like the Jazz have decided to play it safe this year, which is not a good thing.

I mean, this is essentially the same team as last year, and if they couldn't get it done then, what's going to be different this time around? Being financially strapped, they're basically banking on their younger players in Miles, Ronnie Brewer, Morris Almond, and Paul Milsap to continue improving and hopefully carry them over the threshold. I like that group of youngsters, but I wouldn't bet my whole season on them. Either way, there's no denying that the Utah Jazz will be right there again this year, competing for a title. However, if they fall short once more, look for things to get shaken up a bit next summer.

New Orleans Hornets

I know, I know, "How can you even think of putting the Hornets in this category? They signed James Posey away from the Celtics, a player who helped them win the championship!" Look, I'm not as high on the Posey signing as many are, and here's why.

Reason No. 1: James Posey is a good contributor. He's a solid role player, with a tough defensive mindset. He shoots a nice percentage from downtown and doesn't mind coming off the bench to help his team. That all being said, I still don't believe what he brings to the table for the Hornets is what they need to push them over the top.

I fully expected the Hornets to go after a big man as their key offseason addition. Despite having Tyson Chandler and David West in the frontcourt, as well as Hilton Armstrong coming off the bench, I can't help but feel like another proven frontcourt presence would have served them well this season. West is known to have some slight durability issues, and the depth is almost non-existent there. Meanwhile, Posey is added to a position(s) where there are a host of other players already vying for playing time.

Reason No. 2: As I just stated above, the Hornets currently have the likes of Peja Stojakovic, Morris Peterson, Devin Brown, and the underrated, up-and-coming Julian Wright playing the same position as Posey. The former two are guaranteed to be under contract for the next three seasons still. A drop-off of playing time such as this is liable to create some locker room negativity over the course of the next couple seasons. I also feel bad for Julian Wright. He made the most of the brief time he got last season, and appears to have some real promise as an NBA player. Now he can look forward to being stranded on the bench for the next two to three years.

Reason No. 3: The final reason I'm not happy about the Posey deal is because it is a bad contract. He is 31-years-old, and will no doubt see his productivity decline over the next four years. Yet the Hornets just signed him to a contract that pays him as if he were heading in to the prime of his career. In fact, the main reason he chose to sign with the Hornets instead of a host of other teams, including the Celtics, was because no one else was willing to give him a fourth guaranteed year on his contract. Doesn't that kind of seem like a red flag? Are the Hornets overpaying for a guy simply because of his past roles on championship teams?

While Posey can definitely help this team now, he is going to be hurting them (financially) later on. I predict that the last year or possibly even two years of the contract (in which he'll be making $6.5 and $7 million), Posey will be one of those classically frustrating guys at the end of the bench, who were once solid, but are no longer able to justify the size of their contract that they signed years ago, and have thus become a wasted roster spot, and a waste of salary cap space, as well. Now if he helps bring a championship to New Orleans before that happens, then it will all be worth it. But I'm not convinced he will.

Aside form this whole mess above, the Hornets also lost out on a key bench guy in Jannero Pargo, who left for greener pastures in Europe this season. Pargo wasn't great, but he was a really good backup point guard to Chris Paul. With him gone, I'm not sure they have anyone they can rely on to run the team when Paul's not on the floor (and don't say Mike James, either). Apparently, they're planning on using Devin Brown in this spot, but I'm not optimistic about that situation.

Depth is a key concept in any sport and the NBA is no different. With the Hornets electing to go small (relatively) instead of big with their free agency, and their inability to keep depth at point guard, I'm worried these issues will come back to haunt them over the long, grueling season ahead.

Still wondering how your team panned out this offseason? You might get your answer in the next part of this Western Conference series, entitled "The Declining Supremacy."